


Little Friends May Prove Great Friends

by earthphoenix (roughknuckles)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Platonic Male/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-29
Updated: 2007-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-09 09:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/772808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughknuckles/pseuds/earthphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Implied Albus/Gellert. Platonic Albus/Elphias.</p>
<p>Elphias returns from his trip, only to find the Dumbledore household more broken then ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Friends May Prove Great Friends

"Albus?" The front door opened, it was the middle of the day, so no lamps were lit within the entry way or drawing room. "Arianna? It’s Elphias … Elph." He identified himself by the nickname she had used since she was little, it was easier that way, rather then attempting to correct her. "Hello?"   
  
There was no answer, no sign of life within the house at all. The livingroom looked torn apart and there were a few holes in the walls that looked about fist-sized. In the kitchen, food, formerly some sort of stew, was still in a brown pot on the stove, but had been sitting for days without being touched. In short, it looked as though everyone had fled, leaving the house scarred and empty.  
  
"Albus?" Elphias climbed the main staircase, listening carefully. The house had a sense of abandonment about it, which more then worried him; Arianna was bound to the house, and Albus, bound to taking care of her. They should be here. At the top of the stairs, Elphias looked down the hallway in one direction, then again in the other, "It’s Elph …" he pushed open the first door he passed, expecting, hoping, to maybe just see Albus and Arianna napping together on the floor after having been up all night playing.   
  
An arm, long, pale and slim was draped over the side of the bathtub in the dark, and a few strands of long, auburn hair dangled behind it.  
  
"Albus? Albus, it's Elphias."  
  
The figure didn't move, the water in the tub didn't even ripple.  
  
Elphias swallowed, clearing his throat as he approached, "Have you fallen asleep? Albus?"  
  
Albus's eyes were closed, he was naked in the now cold water, his red hair covering most of his face. Elphias's foot contacted with something heavy, a large, now empty bottle of brandy.  
  
Then it was not just worry, it was fear. Albus did not drink, not when he needed to be responsible for his little sister. "Albus?" Elphias took off his leather glove and placed his warm hand against Albus’s shoulder  
  
Albus gasped softly, and his blue eyes opened slowly. "Elph ..." he croaked, not moving. Albus's eyes were bloodshot and almost swollen shut.  
  
Elphias knelt beside the tub, cupping the side of Albus’s face, getting him to look at him, "Albus? Did you fall asleep? Are you alright? Merlin, you’re so cold." There were few personal barriers that he ever crossed, he was a gentleman, but there was something about his friend’s state, the coldness of his skin, the smell of his breath, and the pain in his eyes that gave Elphias permission to act without consent. He pulled the plug in the tub of water, laying the chain over the side while he summoned a towel, laying it in his lap and casting a warming charm, "Albus. Get up." He said, putting the warm towel over his friend’s shoulder, warming another as the tub continued to drain, taking one of Albus’s arms, drying and warming him, helping his friend to his feet.  
  
Albus obeyed, moving like an old man, his usually sparkling gaze as dull as unpolished stone. He didn't speak, and he didn't look directly at his oldest friend who still smelled like the marvelous, foreign lands that Albus knew he should have seen instead of _... oh gods_ , instead of what happened. Anything instead of that.  
  
More towels, one wrapped around Albus’s hips, before Elphias took off his over robe and wrapped it around him as well. "How long have you been in there?" he asked, supporting more of Albus’s weight then he had expected; it wasn’t necessarily that Albus was prideful, except for perhaps in the best sense, it was just that he really didn’t need to lean on anyone, in any regard, and therefore was surprised when he did in this moment. "Albus, what has happened to you?" Elphias’s hand was against the center of his back, guiding him down the hall and to his bedroom.  
  
Albus just shook his head, "How was the world?" He swallowed thickly, still not meeting Elphias's gaze.  
  
"Bigger then I expected, but not so big to forget home." Elphias smiled a little, leading Albus right up to the bed, pulling back the covers, and helping him in. Casting more heating charms over the bed sheets as he pulled them over his friend, "Have you slept?"   
  
"I believe I have." Albus mumbled, sitting up against his headboard, leaving one side of the bed undisturbed and unlooked at. The redheaded young man just stared at his knees, speechless and grey-faced with horror.  
  
"Albus, you know I am not entirely simple." Elphias moved around the side of the bed, pulling himself up into the empty spot, over the covers, reaching a hand up and making Albus look at him proper, "I know what I just came across in the bathroom. But that’s over now. And we don’t need to talk about it. I just as well assume the worst. You more then forgot that I was retuning today. You were attempting to forget about all of life. And I can only assume … something horrible has happened. Something that would have driven you to that state … so-" Elphias’s eyes began to water down the side of his face, "I must assume, that Arianna is gone, to drive you to such an empty state."  
  
Albus doubled over, his face hidden in his knees as his back began to shake violently. "She's dead."  
  
Elphias nodded a little, his arms going around Albus tightly, "I’m sorry" his own voice broke.  
  
"It's my ... fault" Albus choked out, pulling away, "don't ... don't comfort me ... I don't deserve it."  
  
Elphias was crying, though he managed to function still through his blurred vision, "Albus" he smacked the side of his face, lightly, getting his attention, "She was you’re sister. You have every right to mourn her" he scolded, hugging him again, hand against his back.  
  
"No! Elphias! I ... I killed her!!!" Albus shouted now, ripping a blanket off of his bed and wrapping it around his own shoulders as he pulled himself away from the solid, sane, comfort of his best friend.  
  
Elphias did not draw back in fear, simply shock, unable to speak as if in Albus's anger, any word of comfort had been already silenced from his lips.  
  
"I ... " Albus gasped, slumping against the wall, "I was arguing with Aberforth and ..." he shook his head again, his fists balled up. Albus looked ready to put another hole in the wall, "and ... I ... a spell ... she was trying to stop us."  
  
Elphias was easily a mouse to Albus’s lion, but only the bravest mouse is able to remove the thorn from the lions paw. Elphias approached his friend once more, "You couldn’t have, Albus … I know you are capable of many things, but killing is not among them."   
  
"But I ... I ... " Albus looked up at Elphias, his face wild, "there were three of us! We were so ... STUPID and I replay it in my head over and over again, I keep seeing it differently every time! It could have been mine, it could have been my spell, I think ..." Albus was hyperventilating, "it ... was probably my ... my spell. I didn't ... see her ..."  
  
"Albus Dumbledore, look me in the eye and tell me you cast a killing spell."  
  
Albus shook his head, "No ... no, of course not."  
  
"Then how could it have been you."  
  
"It wouldn't have taken a killing spell on her! It could have been anything, you know how delicate she was!"  
  
"She was delicate, but stronger then most. It would have taken more then a stray spell."  
  
Albus sat down heavily, shaken, his back against the wall and his eyes wide with realization. "Perhaps-" he said softly, "perhaps you're right ...."  
  
"Who else was there?"  
  
"Bathilda's nephew." He murmured, closing his eyes.

"I don't know him." Elphias frowned a little, kneeling before his friend, "What happened? What was he doing here, and why were all of you fighting?"  
  
"We became friends over the summer."  
  
"Did he know about Arianna?"  
  
Albus just worked on breathing for what seemed like hours before he nodded, "Yes. He came over often."  
  
"Then he should have known better."  
  
"I was fighting too."  
  
"Yes, and so was Aberforth. You all should have known better. But Merlin ... I can only imagine ..." Elphias shook his head.  
  
Albus looked up, "Aberforth has left. For good. He will never speak to me again, I know it."  
  
"You are still family. And because you are never, going to attempt what I found you attempting in the bathtub, again, you have time, the both of you."  
  
"It was not an attempt-" he whispered, hollowly.  
  
"Albus." Elphias sighed, still angered.  
  
"If I attempted that, I doubt I would let myself fail at it. No," Albus shook his head, "no. I will live, death is ... more peace than I deserve."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"In her room," Albus pressed his lips together, hard, "clean, and dressed-" tears fell from Albus's eyes that for once were not hidden by glasses, cold Dumbledore's tears made dark, perfect circles on the wooden floor.  
  
"Might I say good-bye?"  
  
He nodded, not able to speak.  
  
Elphias left Albus, touching his shoulder as he left for the room down the hall, not wanting to leave his friend for very long, but needing to see her once more.  
  
Arianna's door was closed, the walls around it unmarked by fist-holes.  
  
Elphias let himself inside, quietly as if allowing a part of his mind to imagine she was just sleeping. At times she had been a joy, other times a burden, and tragically, more often, someone to fear. But her story was tragic. Beginning to end. Everyone who knew her, were impacted in some way. Elphias would not soon forget her, nor her brothers, Albus in particular.   
  
Arianna was laid on her bed in a soft, light green dress. She was obviously put there with immense care, flowers arranged in her hands, her eyes shut, a blanket pulled up to her waist and a pillow centered under her blond head. There were no signs of trauma on her, not a scratch, not a bruise. The room was cool, not quite as cold as an ice box, but like a spring morning, cold enough to preserve her.  
  
Elphias remained for some time, not touching her, and not talking to the body. But leaving at last once he was able to settle his mind, feeling that young Arianna had died years ago, only the traumatized, mutilated magic version of herself had remained, survived for these many years. She was free. Perhaps even free to try again, in another lifetime. Elphias really didn’t know. But it was a hopeful thought. She did disserve better, and it was comforting in a way that her suffering had ended.  
  
Pulling the door closed behind him, Elphias returned to Albus’s room quietly.  
  
Albus was wearing a dark, almost black, simple blue robe, sitting on his side of the bed, his back against the head board. He looked up, hopefully when Elphias entered, almost like there was some chance his sister had only been sleeping.  
  
Elphias walked over to his friend, leaning over the side of the bed, hugging him again, "She’s alright now."  
  
Albus swallowed hard, arms wrapping slowly, very slowly around Elphias. "I should have gone with you, she would have been better off with Aberforth."  
  
Elphias remained by Albus’s side, holding, hugging him, pleased that he was accepting it from him at the moment. "I- but you didn’t. It was not your path."   
  
"She might still be alive."  
  
"And she might not. Or your brother might have died. Or the village might have burned down. Albus, you cannot do this. You cannot allow yourself to believe that the unchosen path was the right one, only afterwards, in hindsight. It serves no purpose, except to torture yourself. And you cannot live like that."  
  
"There's so much more, Elphias, so much more to tell you." He said softly, against Elphias's collar.  
  
"In time. Because I am staying. But mourn your sister, Albus, do that, and tell me what has happened, when you are ready."  
  
Albus's arms tightened hard around Elphias, clutching him for a second, as though the usually brilliant wizard was terrified that he too might disappear.  
  
But Elphias did not disappear. He was solid flesh, and a loyal friend. Elphias did not love Albus as Albus loved other men, but he did love him. Unconditionally.

**Author's Note:**

> co-authored. originally written for thestralskinphoenixtears


End file.
